Could Riyadh–Abu Dhabi rivalry spread to other parts of Yemen?

Pars Today – A new round of clashes has erupted between forces allied with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Yemen, threatening the existence of the government based in Aden in southern Yemen.

According to Pars Today, clashes between Saudi- and UAE-backed forces in southern and eastern Yemen began several weeks ago, and in recent days have escalated publicly into a new phase. Military movements by UAE-backed mercenaries, known as the Southern Transitional Council, particularly in Hadhramaut province, have placed severe diplomatic, security, and economic pressure on the Saudi-aligned government in Aden.

As the fighting intensified, Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Council, traveled to Riyadh along with members of his council to take a firm stance against the UAE-backed mercenaries. Al-Alimi described the UAE forces’ military actions in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahrah as a full-scale coup against his government and demanded their immediate withdrawal.

The latest clashes between Saudi- and UAE-backed actors have multiple causes, the most significant being a power struggle between the Aden-based government and UAE-affiliated mercenaries. This conflict has existed for years, and even a ceasefire imposed under Saudi pressure did not halt the ongoing power struggle. Another key factor is the competition between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Yemen to expand influence and control more areas of southern Yemen.

The UAE–Saudi rivalry in Yemen began just months after the war started in 2015 and has intensified over time. The UAE has even brought Israel into southern and eastern Yemen to expand its influence. This competition is driven by the strategic importance of southern and eastern Yemen.

Hadhramaut and Al-Mahrah provinces hold massive oil and gas reserves. Control over these provinces also provides access to the Arabian Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. According to Yemen Press, these clashes are not merely a regional dispute but part of a larger competition over control of the Red Sea, energy routes, strategic ports, and eastern Yemen’s natural resources, with both global and regional powers involved.

The clashes will have serious consequences: they will weaken the Aden-based government and create numerous challenges, while also triggering economic and security crises in southern and eastern Yemen.

Additionally, these conflicts could create new opportunities for Israel to increase its influence in southern Yemen while launching a new wave of attacks against Palestine, Lebanon, and even the Yemeni government in Sana’a.

Finally, the intensification of clashes between Saudi- and UAE-backed mercenaries in Yemen demonstrates a growing rift between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, with no sign of the alignment and partnership of previous years. Yemen has now become a battlefield where two former partners, pursuing completely different objectives, fight each other through proxy forces—and this conflict could spread to other regions as well.